


Long Feng's New Puppet

by White_Dragontail



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula gets captured by the Dai Li, Gen, Long Feng ceases the opportunity, Long Feng needs a new puppet, Mind Control, On Purpose, One Shot, The Dai Li (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 02:42:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30014910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/White_Dragontail/pseuds/White_Dragontail
Summary: After Team Avatar exposed Long Feng for his lies and betrayal, he finds himself imprisoned, without his puppet king and with now way to regain his position of royal advisor.Until the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation walks right into his arms, and offers a solution to all of his problems. Long Feng decides not to take any chances this time.After all, if he plays his cards right, he has much more to gain than just his old position.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Long Feng's New Puppet

**Author's Note:**

> The one thing bothering me about Azula’s coup in Ba Sing Se is that it relies on Long Feng trusting Azula, when he has access to brain washing and doesn’t need to trust anyone, much less an enemy princess.
> 
> Also him trying to take the throne makes even less sense: If he could just crown himself King, he clearly doesn’t need Azula’s help to do so, seeing how easily he managed to get into the King’s chambers after Azula did his dirty work.
> 
> So I decided to write a quick what-if story about Long Feng actually using the situation to gain as much as he can from it.

Iroh had sent her a puppet, a stupid puppet, a little earth kingdom peasant toy. Zuko got a knife, a weapon, but she was given the toy of a little girl.

As if she wasn’t a warrior in training. As if she hadn’t already mastered more advanced fire bending forms than most of his soldiers. She wasn’t a little girl anymore. Father had said so.

And Father was always right.

But Iroh had sent Zuko a knife, and she had gotten scraps of fabric.

Her mother apparently couldn’t see the slight for what it was.

But Azula already that her mother didn’t understand her by then. That her mother didn’t love her.

Only Father loved her.

So she burned the puppet at the first opportunity.

She wasn’t weak.

She was the Princess of the Fire Nation.

And one day, she would rule it.

-

The Avatar had proven to be more disruptive than Long Feng could have predicted. He had seen the twelve year old and forgotten about the trickster from the legends.

Arguably his one big mistake.

And now decades of work, of keeping the King pliable through ignorance were all for nought. The Avatar had taken Long Feng’s most important piece and rearranged the board in one fell swoop.

Long Feng sat in his cell, pondering his next step.

Without the King, he couldn’t rule. Without the King, the nobility wouldn’t listen to Long Feng. Without the King, the Generals would ignore any of his advice.

And without the King, what little was left of the Earthen Empire would shatter, as the local Lords and petty Kings would turn their back to Ba Sing Se.

If a violent coup had been an option, Long Feng would have made himself the King long ago. But he wasn’t of noble blood. 

So he had kept his puppet and reigned in his stead, giving Long Feng all the power while enjoying the protection of anonymity. In the last decade, not a single royal decree was given without his advice. 

And now it was all gone.

The Dai Li were still under his control, yes, but their power came from their secrecy, from their ability to keep everyone in the dark about them. 

A violent coup would enrage the fickle nobility and would turn the Earth Kingdom Army against the Dai Li. Even the most elite earthbenders in the world couldn’t hold against that.

No, a coup would require him to have an army of his own, an army he didn’t have.

Finding a new puppet would also prove to be difficult.

They would have to come from royal blood to satisfy the nobility. 

Someone already molded into the role, like he had done to Kuei for his whole life.

Someone who would follow authority, while playing the part of authority themselves.

But even if he miraculously found the perfect candidate, his arrest had destroyed any chance of him taking his old post as royal advisor. He could only imagine the news of it had traveled throughout all of the upper ring by now, and would reach the rest of the Kingdom in the next few weeks.

No one in the Earth Kingdom would ever trust him enough to follow him now. 

So Long Feng would need to play the long game, slowly building up influence again, maybe even take on a new identity - 

He was woke from his musings as a Dai Li Agent entered the room and stepped towards the iron bars and bowed, waiting for permission to speak.

“Give your report, agent.”

“We have apprehended three fire nation spies, Sir. Teenagers, that entered the city by disguising themselves as Kyoshi Warriors, and have gained access to the palace by claiming to be friends of the Avatar.”

“Fire Nation Spies. You know our usual procedure. So I assume there is another reason you come to me with this matter, and didn’t follow procedure.”

The Dai Li Agent nodded.

“One of the girls claims to be Princess Azula, daughter of Fire Lord Ozai and Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. Given how quickly they gave away that information, we suspect they got arrested on purpose.”

Long Feng’s eyes widened slightly.

“Of course, that does change matters.”

Long Feng took a few moments to think. The Princess of the Fire Nation in his city. Clearly trying to contact him, maybe to strike a deal and take over his city in the name of her nation. Willing to work with him to get what she wants.

He smiled. This new development was rife with opportunity.

“Make them wait for ten minutes, before you bring them in. And before that, inform Agent Wang Ben to prepare for a new patient. I will discuss the details of his new assignment after my meeting with the Princess.”

After that, he dismissed the agent, and mentally prepared himself for the Princess. 

He smiled slightly.

He had just found a new puppet.

-

Both the Banished Prince and the Dragon of the West had been an unexpected, but not unwelcome surprise to Long Feng. Both him and Azula had expected the Avatar and his allies to become involved sooner or later, but the family reunion had been a last minute addition to the plan.

That the Dragon of the West had managed to escape worried Long Feng, who had fought the man before, even if they had never seen each other’s face once. The man was a military genius, and Long Feng wasn’t fooled by the persona of the humble tea merchant.

But at least they managed to capture one prince, giving him a second option should the princess turn out to be too much of a hassle to control.

Still, everything else had gone according to plan so far.

Long Feng had gathered his most trusted and loyal agents outside of the throne room, ready for the last act in this play. He didn’t like what needed to happen now, but it was necessary. His agents had been carefully instructed as well, and would do exactly as he intended.

They were his most loyal, after all.

If he survive two decades of Kuei ineptness, he could deal with some entitled princess who believed everyone to be below her. It would be worth it, in the end.

Just then, the commotion in the throne room stopped.

‘Get them all out of my sight.’ he heard the Princess say, her words dulled by the heavy door. 

This was his cue.

He stepped into the room, his agents just behind him.

“Now comes the part where I double cross you. Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation princess!”

No one moved. Long Feng looked around. 

“I said arrest her!”

Again, no one moved to do anything. Humiliating him.

“What’s wrong with you?!”

“It’s because they haven’t made up their minds.”

Long Feng snapped back to Azula, who looked at him with a smug grin, completely assured of her victory.

“They are waiting to see how this is going to end.”

“What are you talking about?”, Long Feng said, mixing in a bit of desperation.

Then, Azula started her monologue, slowly pacing the room.

“I can see your whole history in your eyes. You were born with nothing, so you’ve had to struggle and connive, and claw your way to power.”

That was true. It was true for him. It was true for his agents. It was true for his organization, that had only under him become as powerful as it was now.

“But true power, the divine right to rule, is something your born with. The fact is, they don’t know which one us is going to be sitting on the throne, and which one is going to be bowing down.”

Long Feng furrowed his brows. The divine right to rule. The reason he had kept Kuei alive for all these years. He couldn’t sit on the throne. But Azula could.

“Well I know, and you know,” she ended, mirroring his thoughts.

She sat down on the throne and crossed her legs.

“Well?”

Long Feng swallowed and showed himself openly frightened, before putting on the mask of submission he hadn’t been forced to use since he had arranged for the death of Kuei’s father.

“You’ve beaten me at my own game.” He walked up and bowed to her.

“Don’t flatter yourself! You were never even a player,” Azula said, clearly enjoying seeing someone as powerful as him bowing to her.

“Of course, Queen Azula. What are your orders.”

Long Feng said, slipping seamlessly back into the role of royal advisor.

Azula looked at him testily, and he suspected she was thinking about the title. Then the Fire Nation stood up energetically and addressed his men.

“The Avatar has recently returned to the city. Earlier this day, we apprehended his waterbending teacher, and I am certain he will come to her rescue. You “ she pointed to one group of Dai Li, “will lead me to this prison and assist me in dealing the final blow against the Avatar. Long Feng,” she addressed him, “You will lead the rest of your agents to wall and take it down, to open the way for the Fire Nation Army. After all, Ba Sing Se is now under the rule of the Fire Nation.”

Long Feng bowed, and left to regroup with his agents and follow the orders of his new liege. 

He waited until Azula was out of earshot, before allowing himself a small smile. 

It had been humiliating yes.

But if this was the price to regain his position as royal adviser, he would do it again and again.

-

A few days later, everything had fallen into place. 

Ba Sing Se was now under the Rule of the Fire Nation, with the Dai Li overseeing everything.

After being called back to the Capital, Azula had decided to put a Joo Dee on the throne, making the Dai Li once again the unofficial rule of the greatest city in the world.

She had also decided to take Long Feng and his most loyal agents with her into the Fire Nation. To her friends, she had explained it as a precaution for the Day of the Black Sun. It was a clear slight against them, given that they were both non-benders.

But they didn’t question Azula’s decision.

Just as no one had questioned the Earth King’s decisions.

Still, Long Feng needed reassurance that Agent Wang had done his job correctly.

So before their departure for the Fire Nation, he invited the Princess into a private conversation under the guise of discussing some sensitive information.

She dismissed her friends at the door, leaving them alone.

“So, what is it Long Feng. Have your agents found new information about the Avatar’s allies?”

“Actually, this is about your brother.”

Azula stepped closer, furrowing her brows.

“What about him?”

Long Feng hesitated for a moment, knowing that if Wang had failed, this could very well be the end of him.

“Long Feng needs to discuss Ba Sing Se.”

The Princess’ face became blank for a second, before she answered in her usual acerbic tone.

“Then let me remind him of my orders.”

Then, she stood silent.

Long Feng waited a few moments, carefully searching for any sign of fakery, before dismissing her with the appropriate phrasing.

Long Feng allowed himself a smile, as he watched her leave.

It was time to call in his agents. The Day of the Black Sun was nearing, and planning the death of a King was not a trivial thing.

But Long Feng wasn’t worried.

After all, Fire Lord Ozai had handed him the perfect weapon.

The one person the Fire Lord might trust with his life.


End file.
